Passwords may be used in many situations to authenticate a user before using a portion of an electronic device. Situations requiring authentication may include the ability to access or use a computer, mobile phone, tablet device, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or any other device. Authentication may also enable access to a physical location, or allow use of a credit/debit card or similar instrument. Passwords are typically alpha-numeric strings or sequences entered on a keyboard. However, with the advent of touch sensitive input devices, graphical authentication systems are also available. For example, a user may have to align icons on a display or touch certain images in a particular order in order to authenticate.
There are many actions that users repeat frequently on their devices, such as macros within an application. Likewise, there are other actions that are not used commonly due to the amount of time or effort to access the actions. Examples of actions repeated frequently include entering a BBM (Blackberry Messager™) conversation with a particular person, checking a particular website, making a phone call and sending an email. Examples of actions that may not be used as frequently as desired due to the time or effort involved might include taking a picture, recording a voice note and opening a document stored on the electronic device. Today these actions can be tedious because of the traditional access steps of unlock/wakeup, enter password, open application, and activate the action within the application.
Providing shortcuts for specific actions outside of a password is known. However shortcuts can create security holes. By giving access to an application outside a security screen there is a risk that the devices data can be accessed or unlocked through the application. In some situations, shortcuts can create a very limited set of actions where the user is not able to access any data on the device. For example, a shortcut might allow the user to take a picture but not for communicate with someone over BBM.
There are examples of devices that provide access to a limited set of functions outside of a password. For example, on some smart phones, you can answer a phone call without entering a password.
Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like elements and features.